Torchlight II Previews

For some new hands-on, PAX-based impressions of Runic Games' Torchlight sequel, you can point your browser to The Escapist:
I created my character and jumped into the world, joining an existing game. Torchlight II's multiplayer is entirely drop-in-drop-out - if a character in your game is in your area, you'll be able to see their current status and location on the map to make it easier to join forces. Otherwise, you're just on your own as much as you've ever been. When you're adventuring in a party, however, all the loot you see is your own - there's no "fastest clicker wins" a la Diablo II, something that is very much appreciated in a game that is all about collecting the shiniest gear.

Torchlight II has more of a plot than the first game did, which admittedly isn't a very difficult feat to accomplish. Still, the philosophy of the Runic crew is twofold: They don't want the plot to ever get in the way in the game, and they want the plot to be easily understandable by people who don't like reading. I'm sure that there probably was some plot in the short demo, but when your time is limited on the PAX show floor there's no time to stop and sniff the flowers - it's about action, baby.

And to GamePro:
The Railman class is a tank blended with an Engineer. I like to think of it as a steampunk paladin. His core mechanic involves generating charges and then expending them via special abilities.

The Outlander is a mostly ranged, Rogueish class with a little melee capability. I played the Railman, but watching the Outlander revealed he's all about guns.